Wolfdog
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A wolfdog (also erroneously called a wolf hybrid or wolf-dog hybrid), is a cross breed resulting from the mating of a wolf (Canis lupus) and a dog (Canis lupus familiaris). The term "wolfdog" is preferred by most wolfdog-oriented organizations,(as these animals are not hybrids at all, they are in fact the same species).
The term "wolf hybrid" is technically incorrect. In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of wolf (Canis lupus familiaris). This means that wolves and dogs are the same species, and that "hybrid" is an inaccurate labeling.
A wolfdog may also be an animal with both wolf and dog ancestry within the past five generations. They retain various traits of each parental line along with having traits that differ from either, and range from predominantly wolf-like to predominantly dog-like in behavior and physical characteristics.
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[edit] Controversy
The wolfdog has been the center of much controversy for the past few decades, with laws in many European countries and most states and many counties and municipalities in the U.S. either outlawing the animal altogether or putting restrictions on ownership.[1][2] In parts of the U.K, the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (1976) regulates the keeping of wolfdogs as pets.
This pattern of legislation is generally due to the belief that wolves are dangerous animals and that wolfdogs inherit their dangerous traits. This view has been contested in recent years by advocates of wolfdogs as companion animals.[3][4] However, most wolf and wolfdog rescue organizations claim wolfdogs retain many of the traits and requirements of their wild relatives and are therefore inappropriate as domestic pets.[5][6] Both sides of the controversy agree, however, that wolfdogs require care and an environment different from either wolves or dogs.[7]
[edit] Origins
Research into the genetic makeup of dogs and wolves indicate the two initially diverged somewhere around 100,000 years ago and have intermixed occasionally since.[8] Evidence for prehistoric domesticated wolfdogs in the Americas date back at least 10,000 years,[9] while fossil evidence in Europe points to their use in hunting mammoths.[10] While accidental (on the part of humans, in any case) pairings may have occurred intermittently since, modern wolfdogs are almost exclusively the result of arranged matings between domestic dogs and lines of wolves that have been in captivity for generations.[11]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Wolf Trust
- ^ National Wolf Dog Alliance
- ^ Wolf Dunn
- ^ The Wolf Is At The Door, Inc. A non-profit focused on public education regarding wolfdogs.
- ^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Wolf FAQ, includes Wolfdogs
- ^ Wolf Song of Alaska
- ^ Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary Wolfdog FAQ
- ^ [http://www.idir.net/~wolf2dog/wayne1.htm Caries Vila, Peter Savolainen, Jesus E. Maldonado, Isabel R. Amorim, John E. Rice, Rodney L. Honeycutt, Keith A. Crandall, Joakim Lundeberg, and Robert K. Wayne. Multiple and Ancient Origins of the Domestic Dog, Science, Vol. 276, 13 June 1997
- ^ Walker, D., and Frison, G.C. 1982. Studies on Amerindian Dogs, part 3: Prehistoric Wolf/Dog Hybrids from the Northwestern Plains. Journal of Archaeological Science 9:125-172
- ^ Schwartz, M. 1997. A History of Dogs in the Early Americas. Yale University Press.
- ^ Wild vs. non-wild wolf parents of wolfdogs
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